Improvement in fog-signals



GOULDING, CLARK, & DICKINSON.

Fog Signal.

Patented Nov. 13, 1866.1

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE,

GEORGE l). GOULDING, DANIEL CLARK, AND THOMAS DIGKINSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

vIMPROVEIVl ENT IN FOG-SIGNALS.

'Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,589, dated November 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE P. GOULD- ING, DANIEL CLARK, and THOMAS Drortnv- SON, of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, assignors to themselves and F. G. Mauser, have invented a new and improved Fog-Signal for Sailing Vessels; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specication, in which Figure I is a front elevation, and Fig. II is an end elevation, of the same.

The nature of this invention consists, iirst, in the construction of an automatic air-whistle, and the application and use thereof on shipboard, the sounds thereof indicatin g the course or" the vessel and the tack she is sailing on 5 second, in the combination of a time-piece, or the mechanism of a time-piece, for the purpose of insuring regularity and precision in giving the signals; third, in specific devices, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the iigures.

A represents a cylindrical compressed air chamber or reservoir. Air is forced into this chamber through the conducting-pipes b2 by means of the air-pumps B B. The air-pumps are of common construction. The pump-rods b1 connect to overhungcranks O, keyed to the shaft G1, which is supported in bearings G2 and carries a fly-wheel, C3. Motion is given to the shaft C by means of the pinion ell on the same and spur-wheel d2 upon the shaft D. The shaft D is supported in bearings D3, and is provided, upon each en d thereof, with winchhandles d4, by means of which the shaft may be revolved and the air-pumps thereby operated and the reservoir A iilled with compressed air.

E represents an air-whistle, which may be constructed like an ordinary steam-whistle. It is connected with an upright cylindrical airchamber, F, by means of the pipe El. A stopcock, E2, is placed in the pipe E1 for shutting off the supply of air from the air-chamberF to the whistle and opening the same at stated intervals, according to the nature of the signal to be given. The air-chamber F is supplied .with compressed air through the pipe F1, com- F1 is also provided with a stop-cock, F2. The stopcocks E2 and F2 are connected by means of the levers c3 and f3 and connecting-bar g, and are so constructed that when air is admitted through the pipe E1 to the whistle E by opening the stop-cock E2 the passage of air to the air-chamber F will be stopped by the simultaneous turn of the stop-cock F2, so that one opens as the other closes, and vice versa.

The particular signals required to indicate the course of a vesselin foggy weather may be given at stated intervals of, say, Jrive minutes, in the following manner: H represents a timepiece or clock-work, of common construction. l 2 3 4C represent atrain of wheels and pinions similar to that used in the striking .part of a clock. It is set in motion by the mainspring contained in the drum il and attached to the axis i2, the axis being furnished with a ratchetwheel, t3, which acts upon the, spur-wheel l by means of the click t4. The wheel 2 of the train is provided with a number of pins, j,

` (say, eight,) projecting from the side of the wheel and placed at equal distances apart in a circle. When the wheel 2 revolves these pins j, being in contact with a short lever, kl, extending from the axis L, cause the lever to rise and fall or rock upon its fulcrum.

A long lever, k2, is connected to the axis k, the extreme end of which passes through a slot or Opening made in the vertical bar g or in a horizontal arm or extension thereof, as shown at g', Fig. II. By this means the rocking motion of the short lever 7c, imparted thereto by the pins j upon the wheel 2, is communicated, through the lever k2 and connecting-bar g, to the levers c3 and f3, giving short signals at regular intervals.

- The mechanism for stopping and releasing the train of wheels l 2 3 4 is located between the dial-plate and the clock-work as shown in Fig. II. It consists of a ratchet-bar, L, supported upon pins l* l2, projecting from the frame-plate of the clock. These pins pass through slots made in the bar L,permitting a short horizontally-reciprocating movement of the said bar. A iiat steel spring, Zig-.is attached to the frame, as shown at Z4, and acts upon the har L in a manner to force it to and ret-ain it in one extreme end ot' its movement. A lever, m, having its fulcruln atm', is provided with a tooth upon its under side which engages with ratchet-teeth formed in the upper edge of the bar L.

Another lever, a, having its fulcrum at n', is of apeculiar construct-ion. lts end extends below the end of lever m and is in contact therewith. A branch of the lever a turns upward, and its endis bent so as to come in line with a pin, j', projecting from the wheel 4 of the train. rlhis is for the purpose of stopping and starting the train of wheels.

A signal is given every iive minutes in the following manner:

O represents a spur-wheel, which meshes with another spur-wheel, O1, of equal diameter, fastened to that shaft or axis which carries the minute-hand of the clock. The wheel O, therefore, makes one revolution every hour, and is the prime mover.

Twelve pins, O2, project from the side of the wheel O, all being arranged in a circle and placed at equal distances apart. A lever or arm, p, is fastened to the fulcrum of the lever n upon their common axis, and extends downwardbetween two of thepins O2 upon the wheel O. Hence, whenever during the revolution of the wheel O a pin, O2, passes the end of the lever 19, the train of wheels 1 2 3 4 starts and gives the signal.

Instead of twelve pins any number may be placed upon the wheel, thereby varying the intervals between the signals.

These fog-signals are sound-signals, and are given in a manner to indicate the course of the vessel, one note of the whistle meaning before the wind," two notes, port tack,77 and three notes starboard tack.77 These three different signals are produced as follows:

Upon that side of the clockwork where the small steel spring I3 is located the face or dialplate is extended, as shown at q, and carries a cam, ql, upon its rear side, the edge of which is in line with the bar L or with the adjustable stop 'w at the end thereof.

rlhe cam q1 is made triangular, and its sides are at different distances from the center or fulcrum of the cam, the diiference of their said distances from the center being equal to the distance apart of the ratchet-teeth upon the bar L. The axis of the cam ql carries upon its front end a hand, q2, and gures are placed upon the dial-plate indicating the three different signals.

Upon the axis of the wheel 3, projecting from the frame-plate above the bar L, a pawl, r, is keyed, one end of which is in the form of a tooth, and meshes with teeth cut in the bar L. The other end rests upon a pin, r', projecting from the bar L when the train of wheels is stopped.

The operation of the device for openin g and closing the valves or stop-cocks Ez and F2 may be briefly described as follows: The officer of the deck turns the hand q2 so as to point to the ligure which indicates the number of notes of the whistle to be given at each signal. All the parts are self-operating. The wheel 0 being revolved by the clock-work with the same velocity as the minute-hand of the clock, the pin O2, against which the lever p rests,

slowly moves the same, and thereby lifts the lever a, and with it the lever m. When the lever m is sufficiently raised to discngage its tooth from the ratchet-teeth of the bar L the spring Z3 will force the bar L against the cam gl. lf the cam is so turned as to present the edge farthest from its center the bar L will move only the length of one notch. If the cam is so turned as to present the edge somewhat nearer its center it will arrest the bar L after a movement equal to the length of two notches; and if the cam is so turned as to present that side of its triangle nearest its center it will cause the har L to move through the distance of three notches. As soon as the bar L is liberated from the notched lcver the pin r will, with the bar L, slip from under the pawl r, allowing it to revolve upon its axis. The train of wheels is thereby released, but is immediately arrested by the pin j striking against the npturned branch of lever a. At the moment, however, vthat the pin O2 against which the llever p rests passes from under the end of the same, the gravity of the lever a will turn it downward and force the lever p against the next pin 02. The pin j upon the wheel 4 is thereby also released, and the train of wheels is finally started and permitted to give the required signal in the following manner: The pawl r, being keyed to the axis of wheel 3 of the train, revolves with the train, and the end thereof, which is formedv in the shape of a tooth, engages with the teeth made in the bar L and moves the Ibar L away from the cam ql, one revolution of the pawl being necessary to effect the movement of the bar through the distance of one notch. The leverl m holds the bar L in the position to which it is moved by each revolution of the pawl r by dropping into the ratchet-teeth or notches of the bar L. As soon as the bar L has been moved back so that the pin r occupies its former position the long end of the pawl r will strike the same and the revolutions of the pawl be stopped, and the progress of the train thereby arrested.

The subsequent action of every pin O2 upon the lever p will have the same effect, starting the train of wheels, giving the signal, and stopping the train, in the manner before de scribed.

The reservoir A must be constantly supplied with compressed air by means of the air-pumps B. rlhe pipe F1, which supplies the chamber F with compressed air from the reservoir A, may be provided with a second whistle placed on the top thereof, or the said pipe may be continued without the second whistle, and connected with the pipe E1 at a point above' the stop-cock`E2.

In case a vessel does not heed the signals.

given as above described, and both should approach each other too close, an additional signal may be immediately given by the second whistle above described. For this purpOse the captain or ofcer of the deck may open a stop-cock to be connected with the pipe F1, and cause that Whistle or (in case the pipe El is connected to the pipe E1, as above described) the Whistle E to give a signal Without interfering with the clock-Work which operates the Whistle E and gives signals at regular intervals.

A fog-whistle being a desirable and important instrument on board of sailing-vessels, We have constructed the Within-described appa ratus With a vien7 of supplying the demand therefor. Compressed air, such as used in our fog-Whistle, gives an equally'loud signal as a steam-Whistle; and the Whole apparatus, as herein described, may be placed upon the deck of a vessel and boxed up in a space not eX- ceeding three feet in any direction, making it most convenient and simple in its construction and operation.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The construction of an automatic air- Whistle, in connection with an air pump or pumps and air-reservoir, and the application and use thereof on shipboard for the purpose of givin g' signals to indicate the course of the vessel and the tack she is sailing on, substantially as described.

2. The combination of train of Wheels 1 2 3 4, levers k1 k2 c3 f3, and connecting-bar g, or equivalents, with an air-Whistle, for the purpose of opening and closing the valves E2 and F2, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the Wheels O O1,arm p, levers m and n, stop-pins j and r', pawl i, and ratchet-bar L, or equivalents, with a timepiece and air-Whistle, for the purpose of regulating and controlling the intervals at which the signals shall be given, substantially as set forth.

4. The cam q1, in combination with the dialplate q and bar L, for the purpose of enabling the officer of the deck to set the mechanism so as to give any required signal.

Witnesses E. B. FoRBUsH, B. H. MUEBLE. 

